$36.0M
Fresno pedestrian accident settlement: a commercial delivery van struck a child crossing the street, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
Personal Injury
Orange County Brain Injury Lawyer
Orange County has dozens of cities, one trauma system and one courthouse for nearly every injury lawsuit. Wilshire Law Firm, an award-winning, nationally recognized team, helps people across the county recover after a traumatic brain injury, from our office in Irvine. Want a free case review, 24/7? There are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
- 7X"BEST LAW FIRM" AWARDS
- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Key Takeaways
- Civil cases from every Orange County city, including Santa Ana, Irvine and Anaheim, are filed at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
- UCI Health in Orange is the county’s adult Level I trauma center; Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County, formerly CHOC, is a Level I pediatric trauma center.
- If a city, the County or OCTA is responsible, the written claim must reach that agency within six months (Gov. Code §911.2), and each city has its own clerk and claim form.
- The general deadline for a brain injury lawsuit is two years from the injury (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1).
- Our Orange County office is at 15707 Rockfield Blvd., Suite 320, Irvine, with meetings by appointment.
Understanding Your Orange County Brain Injury Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
The county's trauma system is set by Orange County EMS. UCI Health in Orange is the adult Level I center and also treats injured children at Level II. Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo is Level II for adults and children, Rady Children's Hospital Orange County is a Level I pediatric center, and Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana is also a designated trauma center. For rehabilitation after a hospital stay, Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton runs an accredited inpatient program that treats head injuries. Where a person was treated shapes the evidence: the trauma surgeon's notes, the imaging and the rehabilitation records tell the story of the injury, which is why we collect them first.
Freeway crashes on I-5, I-405, SR-55, SR-91 and the toll corridors cause many of the brain injuries we see, often in heavy commuter traffic where a sudden stop leads to a chain-reaction collision. Our Orange County car accident lawyers handle those cases every day. Surface streets carry their own risk for people on foot and on bikes; Santa Ana adopted a Vision Zero Action Plan in 2024 with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2040. We also see head injuries from falls at stores and apartment complexes, from OCTA bus incidents, and from defective products, which our Irvine product liability lawyers investigate.
Under the Superior Court's designation list, limited and unlimited civil cases from every city in the county are filed at the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Dr. W. in Santa Ana. Cases the court classifies as complex go to the Civil Complex Center nearby. That single venue simplifies one question but not the deadline: a brain injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1), and a case against a hospital or doctor follows the medical-negligence rule of three years from the injury or one year from discovery (Code of Civil Procedure §340.5).
Because Orange County is a patchwork of cities, the first step after an injury involving a public agency is identifying which one is responsible. A claim against the County of Orange goes to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors on Civic Center Drive in Santa Ana. The City of Santa Ana requires an original signed claim filed with its City Clerk, while Irvine accepts its "Claim for Damages" form through its City Clerk. A crash involving an OCTA bus calls for a claim to OCTA. Every one of these is due within six months (Gov. Code §911.2). Our public transportation accident guide lists the transit agencies.
We meet Orange County clients by appointment at 15707 Rockfield Blvd., Suite 320, Irvine, and a legal professional can begin your case review by phone at any hour. A brain injury case is only as strong as its proof of the future, so we bring in neurologists, neuropsychologists and life-care planners to show what care will cost over a lifetime. TopVerdict's 2025 rankings list 31 of our settlements among the top 100 personal injury settlements in California. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. For other injuries, see our Irvine personal injury lawyers and Santa Ana personal injury lawyers.
Meet Our Orange County Brain Injury Attorneys
Nationally Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
Learn more about the team
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Colin M. Jones, Esq.Senior Partner and Senior Trial Attorney, Chair of the Personal Injury Litigation Department
Jennifer P. Burkes, Esq.Senior Partner & Strategic Advisor, Personal Injury Litigation Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Ryan Casey, Esq.Senior Partner and Trial Attorney
Tae-Yoon Kim, Esq.Senior Partner
Philip Andonian, Esq.Partner and Trial Attorney
Alivia E. Abreu, Esq.Partner
Shervin G. Ghanoongooi, Esq.Partner
Christopher Goodroe, Esq.Partner
Nathan A. Guest, Esq.Partner and Trial Attorney
Brian M. Jacobson, Esq.Partner
Ariella Perry, Esq.PartnerRecent wins
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$28.7M
Victorville pedestrian accident settlement: a car struck a child waiting to cross the street, causing catastrophic injuries. Defendants included the driver, a business and three public entities.
$14.5M
Mountain View premises liability settlement: a concertgoer suffered a traumatic brain injury at an event venue. The claim focused on the venue's duty to keep guests safe.
$11.3M
Pomona truck accident settlement: a big rig hit a stopped vehicle on the freeway as a driver checked on it, causing serious head and leg injuries.
$11.0M
California truck accident settlement: a tow truck lost control, crossed three highway lanes and rear-ended a driver, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$7.1M
San Diego County car accident settlement: a crash with a pickup on a state highway left a driver hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$5.0M
Hanford motorcycle accident settlement: a pickup turned left in front of a motorcyclist, causing a traumatic brain injury and serious back, neck and hip injuries.
$5.0M
Lake Elsinore car accident settlement: a vehicle occupant suffered a traumatic brain injury, serious neck injuries and arm injuries when a rear-end collision overturned the vehicle.
$4.0M
California car accident settlement: a driver whose light had turned green suffered serious head, neck and back injuries when a commercial pickup ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle.
$2.5M
Sacramento County workplace accident settlement: a loader backed into a parked truck at a recycling yard and knocked a worker off its trailer, causing head and back injuries.
$2.3M
California truck accident settlement: a rear-end crash between two semis left a truck occupant with a traumatic head injury and a neck strain.
$2.3M
Los Banos bus accident settlement: a bus's lifted ramp fell and struck a bystander on the head, causing a traumatic brain injury, migraines, and neck and back pain.
$2.0M
Long Beach car accident settlement: a three-car rear-end collision left an occupant of one vehicle with a traumatic brain injury and several other serious injuries.
$2.0M
Orange County truck accident settlement: a big rig driver crashed while avoiding people from an earlier wreck, suffering a brain injury. Defendants included an individual and a restaurant franchise.
$2.0M
California car accident settlement: a parked commercial vehicle tried to turn around in front of a driver, who struck its side. The driver had serious neck and back injuries.
$1.5M
Porterville pedestrian accident settlement: a vehicle struck a pedestrian, causing catastrophic injuries, including a brain injury and serious leg injuries. Several defendants faced claims.
$990K
Bakersfield truck accident settlement: a big rig rear-ended and side-struck a driver's vehicle at a red light, causing a brain injury and serious neck and other injuries.
$875K
Oakdale slip and fall settlement: a visitor tripped over a misplaced wooden pallet near a grocery store checkout and fell, causing a head injury and other injuries.
$500K
Glendale car accident settlement: a driver rear-ended a motorist stopped at the freeway divider with hazard lights on, causing a traumatic brain injury.
$102K
Riverside motorcycle accident settlement: a truck turning into a shopping center cut off a motorcyclist, who crashed and suffered a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$101K
Sacramento dog bite settlement: a large dog that escaped its owner's backyard bit a person, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious head injuries.
*Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have an Orange County Brain Injury Claim?
If a driver, a business, a landlord or a public agency in Orange County failed to act carefully and you or a family member suffered a head injury, you may have a claim. It doesn't matter which city it happened in; the case will generally be heard in Santa Ana, and the deadlines are the same. Symptoms like memory problems, headaches and mood changes are worth documenting even if they appeared days later. A legal professional can review your situation for free, 24/7, and there are no fees unless you get paid.
Start Your Free Orange County Brain Injury Case Review
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Record-breaking results
Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
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#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Orange County Brain Injury FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
Nothing up front. Wilshire Law Firm works on contingency, so there are no fees unless you get paid. Case reviews are free and available 24/7.
The Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Dr. W., Santa Ana. The court's designation list sends civil cases from every Orange County city there, and complex cases go to the Civil Complex Center.
Yes, if a city employee or a dangerous condition of city property caused it. Each city has its own process: Santa Ana requires an original signed claim with its City Clerk, and Irvine uses its own Claim for Damages form. The claim is due within six months of the injury (Gov. Code §911.2).
Call (949) 591-8266 or request a free case review online, 24/7. Meetings at 15707 Rockfield Blvd., Suite 320, Irvine, CA 92618, are by appointment.